USMA IN THE NEWS

Less than perfect eyesight prevented Brian Alch from following in the footsteps of his father and brothers in attending the U.S. Military Academy.

His 17-year-old son, Michael, didn't inherit those vision problems.

Michael Alch will report to the academy in June, making him the third generation of his family to attend the academy at West Point, N.Y., which trains Army officers.

The significance isn't lost on his family.

"I'm really proud of him, more so that he's doing what he wants to do," Brian Alch said. "I'd have been proud of him if he'd ended up at LSU."

Michael Alch's grandfather, Wayne, began the family tradition when he entered West Point in 1949.

He was only 17 at the time. Many of his classmates were veterans of World War II, he recalled last week at a family gathering in Baton Rouge.

Wayne Alch pursued a military career upon graduation. His work with the Army Corp of Engineers took him to Korea, where he cleared minefields after the war.

At another point in his career, he was stationed at West Point, where his son, Darren, was born.

Darren Alch, 38, is an attorney in Houston. He and his 33-year-old brother, Steven, also graduated from West Point.

They reminisced recently about their days as cadets.

The conversation was laced with laughter as they teased their father and each other about their experiences at West Point.

Neither brother stayed in the military. Steven Alch served for four years with the 82nd Airborne at Fort Bragg, N.C., before embarking on a career as a sales manager for Merrill Lynch in Baltimore.

But both said they took a lot with them from their days at West Point.

"(There's a) sense that there's probably not too much you can't do or put up with," Darren Alch said. "In the Army or West Point, you don't pick who you work with, and you don't pick who you take orders from."

He said those lessons have helped him have a good relationship with his co-workers. Neither brother got into West Point immediately.

Steven Alch went to LSU for a year before he was accepted into the academy. Darren Alch was an alternate at first.

Their nephew, Michael, went to an invitational week at West Point last summer to preview life as a cadet. Of the 4,000 who applied for the special week, only 400 were accepted.

In August, he received a letter of assurance that a spot was being held open for him in the upcoming freshman class, said his mother, Liz Alch.

Michael Alch, a senior at Catholic High School, said his family background sparked his interest in West Point.

But patriotism also had something to do with his decision to apply, he said. "I've heard the stories my entire life," he said. "Since high school, I started to understand what West Point and the Army mean to this country."